Biden Sends Corsage to Girl Who Asked Him to Prom

Prom is a big deal for the high school students who ask each other out in elaborate, often-public rituals known as promposals. Talia Maselli, on the other hand, was totally over prom—so over it, in fact, that she decided the only way she’d ever attend was if Vice President Joe Biden was her date.

Maselli wrote a letter inviting the veep to the dance at Newington High School in Newington, Conn., and warned that if he turned her down, she’d have no choice but to ask House Speaker John Boehner instead. “And we can’t have that now can we,” Maselli wrote.

To her surprise, a hand-written note and a corsage of baby’s breath, white roses and blue and white ribbons from Biden arrived at her door the day before prom.

“I am flattered, but my schedule will not permit me to be in Connecticut on Friday evening,” Biden wrote in his note. “But I hope you will accept this corsage and enjoy your prom as much as I did mine.”

She didn’t—although a Biden spokeswoman said that the vice president picked out the corsage flowers and ribbons himself, the gesture wasn’t enough to get Maselli to actually attend the big event.